Early goals lift Admirals past Sound Tigers

Michael Fornabaio

Published 1:12 am, Saturday, January 4, 2014

Two goals late in the first period Friday night gave the Norfolk Admirals a lead they'd never give up in a 3-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Devante Smith-Pelly and Emerson Etem each had a goal and an assist at Scope in Norfolk, Va. Etem's goal, with 4.5 seconds left in the first period off a turnover, proved to be the game-winner.

"You've got to know the clock. You've got to know the time, the situation," Bridgeport coach Scott Pellerin said.

"You have to hold the fort, and we weren't able to do that at the end. We got caught."

After a good start to December, Bridgeport has lost four out of five (with the win in a shootout), as well as eight of 12 since leading scorer Ryan Strome was called up to the New York Islanders.

A fairly even first period turned on Richard Rakell's goal, a deflection out of midair off Smith-Pelly's setup on a two-on-one, with 2:13 remaining.

Etem made it 2-0 when Joey Diamond's backhanded clearing attempt toward the middle of the ice, which would've finished off the first period, hit teammate Dallas Jackson.

Aaron Ness, playing his first AHL game since Nov. 2 after a stint with the Islanders, scored Bridgeport's goal on one of its four second-period power plays. Despite outshooting Norfolk 11-4 in the period, though, that was it.

"We were pressuring the puck. We made some good plays," Pellerin said. "We had some quality chances, but we weren't generating any second (chances), real quality chances."

Smith-Pelly's power-play goal with 9:25 remaining put it away as Norfolk held Bridgeport to four shots in the third period.

The teams meet again Saturday night at 7:15 at Scope. Forward Justin Johnson will be eligible to return from his four-game AHL suspension; defenseman Marc Cantin will serve the second game of his three-game suspension.